I figured it out

No more sore elbow! I figured out how it happens: I am trying not to strongly grasp my camera in my right hand (for 2 or 3 hours while I'm swimming.) To do that, I'm sharing holding it with my left hand, too. Which makes me bend my elbow strangely. Gosh, I'm a mass of mess!

So I handle it by holding the camera lightly and with the arm mostly straight. Gee, who knew that blogging could be painful?

But totally worth it for today's prize photo:

Male Box or Trunk fish. I told my hubby that perhaps I could now actually count the number of dots. He reminded me that there are dots underneath too. Ah, a photog's work is never done.

Especially since I haven't even reported on the octopus count for the day: 2

Octopus #1










Below, the eye: look for white lines radiating outward.

This nice octopus sat still for my photos. It didn't scrunch down or turn dark brown. This was on the deep side.










Octopus #2 was out in the Keiki Pond and was entrenched in its den, so harder to see.

 The light got on its skin a bit, so you can see the brown color and the siphon. And following is what I first saw: hard to know its even there, right?! (Siphon in the hole near the bottom left)

2 sea cucumbers. Keep this in mind if you ever think to eat one in a restaurant!

And the Ambon Puffer showing a bit of its blue fin underneath.

 I just love the patterns on them when the sun hits 'em.

This is where an octopus was last time, but not at home today, apparently. And just in case you think: Why doesn't she just put a hand in there to check if it's really empty? That's because sometimes an eel takes over a den and chica does not want an eel bite. 

 Nice Black Leaf Fish

It didn't move even a little bit. It is the definition of ambush predator (and a member of the Scorpion Fish family.) 

Brighteye Chromis. These fish are all over the reef; if I took a photo of every one I saw, I'd be there all day.

 Electric Blue Crab hiding in a shell.

Drupe shell on the reef, resting.

 This Humu dove into a slot on this coral head about a second after I snapped the photo.

And I was lucky to get a photo of this Lizard Fish: Right after I saw it, it snapped away and zoomed up over the reef rocks, so I was happy I got a photo at all.

 Male Trunk Fish

 And nobody was home in the hole in the coral head where I saw the octopus yesterday. 

Pencil Urchin

This Picasso Trigger swam quickly away on the deep side, so this photo is just a reminder that it was there at all.

 Rain out at sea

Scorpion Fish awaiting prey.

 This little fish is, I think, the one that mimics the Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse, but bites the fish instead of cleaning it.

Snowflake Moray didn't appreciate my visit.

 And the Trevally was hoping for a snack blown up by the goat fish.

Urchins and their baggage/protection

In case you want to see one that isn't completely covered with rocks, coral, algae, shells, etc.

Yes, there is one underneath all that rock.

 In case you don't believe me, look for the tiny white spike-y things.

And this Urchin picked up some of the plentiful plant material I've been seeing lately.

 I called this one Urchin Suicide, as it was perched up on the tippy-top of a coral head, apparently ready to jump off.

 I hesitate to guess what the pink stuff on this one was, but it looks suspiciously like gum. Yuck. Hope I'm wrong.

And I cannot tell what these little pink things were, either. But they were interesting.

So that's the haps from today's 2.5 hours of swim. Nice light, octopuses and cool fish. Love that! (Seals were mysteriously absent. No one knows where they were.)